Sankwasa blasted for campaigning at Katima meeting

Minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa is facing criticism from opposition leaders for reportedly using an official development meeting to campaign for Swapo.

Sankwasa, in collaboration with the Katima Mulilo Town Council, hosted a consultative meeting with Katima Mulilo residents last Tuesday to discuss development-related matters at the town.

However, he used the meeting to introduce Swapo’s candidates for the town council.

He also urged residents to leave opposition parties and return to Swapo.

“Running away from Swapo to other political parties has never given the residents of this region the solution they needed since independence. People in the region are saying we don’t want Swapo because it belongs to Owambo people and run to other parties that are run by the same ‘Wambos’.

“If there is a problem within the party, we should come together and talk. The Swapo constitution does not condone members that mess up, hence I fired the councillors who messed up. I am also warning incoming councillors that if they mess up, they will have the same fate,” he said.

National Democratic Party secretary general Alex Linyando says such conduct is unacceptable, as it blurs the line between official duties and political campaigning.

He says it also unfairly influences voters.

“It’s a very serious concern to us. Sankwasa wanted to somehow protect the Swapo councillors by accusing all councillors of making those poor decisions.

“Our councillor was hated and regarded as an ordinary member of the council. He was always sidelined when it came to council resolutions,” he says.

Affirmative Repositioning regional chairperson Watson Kalaluka says Sankwasa was trying to remedy the actions he took when he fired his own party’s councillors, making Swapo’s alleged corruption more public.

“He organised last week’s meeting to redeem himself. Everyone could tell the meeting was purely a Swapo campaign, as these election campaigns are not going well for them at Katima Mulilo. The Swapo government should stop using state resources for their campaigns,” he says.

Sankwasa, when approached for comment yesterday, said he explained from the onset that he would speak as a national and Swapo leader.

“I am the one who called the meeting and I dictated how it went. My meeting will not be dictated by other political parties.

“Before the meeting started, I told the residents I will speak as a national leader representing all citizens, regardless of political association, as well as a Swapo leader. I was very clear on that,” he said.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.